Ger Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Ger Cunningham is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club St. Finbarr's
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1998. Cunningham is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.
Cunningham's status as one of Cork's all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for eighteen years he won three All-Ireland
titles, seven Munster
titles, three National Hurling League
titles and three Railway Cup titles with Munster
. Cunningham also won an unprecedented seven consecutive All-Ireland poc fada titles between 1984 and 1990. His tally of 50 consecutive senior championship appearances in goal is a record for any Cork goalkeeper.
Cunningham has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1986 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. He is only the third goalkeeper to be presented with that award. Cunningham was later honoured in 2000 when he was named, by popular opinion, in the goalkeeping position on the Cork Hurling Team of the Century.
in 1961. He was educated locally at Sullivan’s Quay national school where he was first introduced to the game of hurling by Brother Moloughney, a hurling enthusiast from Tipperary
. Cunningham later attended Colaiste Íognáid Rís where Billy Morgan
nurtured his Gaelic football skills. He currently works as a sales representative with Bord Gáis
, an Irish energy company.
club in Cork and he joined the team in his youth. He first tasted major success in 1980 when he won his first senior county title
with the club. Cunningham later captured a Munster
club title as 'the Barr's' defeated Roscrea
in the provincial decider. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cunningham's side take on Ballyhale Shamrocks
. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers from Ballyhale lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by 1-15 to 1-11. In spite of this defeat Cunningham collected a second consecutive county medal at the end of 1981. St. Finbarr's made it three county titles in-a-row in 1982 with Cunningham playing in goal again. A defeat by Midleton
in 1983 put an end to Cunningham collecting a fourth consecutive county medal. In spite of this defeat he won his fourth county title in 1984, the centenary year of the GAA. Four years later in 1988 Cunningham was captain of the St. Finbarr's team. That year he guided the club to a fifth county title inside the decade. After a few years outside of the spotlight Cunningham captured a sixth county medal in 1993 following a defeat in a replay of divisional side Carbery
.
of both hurling and football at under-age levels in the late 1970s. He first tasted success in 1978 when he captured a Munster
minor title with the Cork hurling team following a victory over arch-rivals Tipperary
. Cunningham later lined out in his first All-Ireland final. Kilkenny
were the opponents on that occasion, however they were easily accounted for on a score line of 1-15 to 1-8. It was Cunningham's first All-Ireland
medal.
In 1979 Cunningham was still a member of the Cork minor hurling team. He missed the Munster final victory over Limerick
, however, he returned in time for the All-Ireland final. Once again it was Kilkenny who provided the opposition. A 2-11 to 1-9 score line gave Cork the victory and gave Cunningham a second consecutive All-Ireland medal at minor level.
Cunningham later joined the Cork under-21 hurling and football teams. He was a member of the extended panel when Cork won both Munster
and All-Ireland
titles in the under-21 grade in 1981.
By 1982 the Cork under-21 hurling team had regained their provincial dominance with Cunningham capturing a Munster
title. He later lined out in a close All-Ireland decider against Galway
. At the full-time whistle Cork were victorious by 0-12 to 0-11, giving Cunningham an All-Ireland
under-21 medal.
as Cork's first-choice goalkeeper the following year and remained an ever-present fixture for the best part of twenty years.
In 1981 Cunningham enjoyed his first major success at senior level when he won a National Hurling League
medal following a victory over Offaly
. Success in the championship eluded him until 1982 when he collected his first senior Munster
title following a 5-31 to 3-6 drubbing of Waterford
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny, with 'the Rebels' installed as the red-hot favourites. All did not go to plan as Kilkenny dominated. Christy Heffernan
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Ger Fennelly
captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15.
Cunningham claimed a second Munster title in 1983 as Waterford fell heavily by 3-22 to 0-12 for the second consecutive year. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final Cork squared up to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final for the second year in-a-row. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. For the second consecutive year Cunningham had ended up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
These two defeats only made Cunningham and Cork more determined to bounce back in 1984. That year he claimed a third Munster title in-a-row following a classic victory over an unlucky Tipperary side. This victory allowed Cork to advance to a third consecutive All-Ireland final. It was a special year for followers of hurling and football as the Gaelic Athletic Association
was celebrating it's centenary year. As a gesture to Thurles
, the cradle town of the association, the All-Ireland final was played in Semple Stadium
that year. Offaly
provided the opposition and, ironically, it was the first meeting of these two sides in one hundred years of Gaelic games. The game was a triumph for Cork, who won by 3-16 to 1-12 courtesy of second-half goals by Kevin Hennessy
and Seánie O'Leary
. At the third time of asking Cunningham had finally collected his first senior All-Ireland
medal. He was later presented with his first All-Star
award.
In 1985 Cunningham was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team for the first time. That year he guided his team to a fourth successive Munster title as Tipp were defeated once again. Cork were subsequently caught on-the-hop by Galway in a rain-soaked All-Ireland semi-final. In spite of this he was later presented with second All-Star award.
Cork continued their dominance in Munster in 1986 with Cunningham capturing a record-equalling fifth Munster medal in-a-row as Clare
were accounted for. A subsequent defeat of Antrim
allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Galway provided the opposition. Galway were the red hot favourites to take the title and defeat Cork for the first time in a championship decider. The pundits and commentators got it wrong as an open game of hurling saw Cork score 4-13 to Galway’s 2-15. A four-point win gave Cork the title and gave Cunningham a second All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with a third consecutive All-Star. Cunningham was also honoured by being named Texaco Hurler of the Year
.
Over the next three years Tipperary re-emerged as the kingpins of Munster hurling as Cork's fortunes took a downturn. One of the lowest points in Cunningham's career happened during this drought for Cork hurling. Playing against Waterford in 1989 Cunningham received a heavy knock to the head and spent the remainder of the game in a daze, conceding three goals.
Cork were back in 1990 and, against all the odds, they wrestled the Munster title from Tipperary after Babs Keating's famous 'donkeys don't win derbies' remark. It was Cunningham's seventh provincial title. The subsequent All-Ireland final that year pitted Cork against Galway for the second time in four years. Once again, Galway were the bookies favourites and justified this tag by going seven points ahead in the opening thirty-five minutes thanks to a masterful display by Joe Cooney
. Cork fought back with an equally expert display by Tomás Mulcahy
. The game was effectively decided on an incident which occurred midway through the second half when Cunningham blocked a point-blank shot from Martin Naughton
with his nose. The umpires gave no 65-metre free, even though he clearly deflected it out wide. Cork went on to win a high-scoring and open game of hurling by 5-15 to 2-21. It was Cunningham's third All-Ireland medal and the first of a remarkable hurling and football double for Cork.
Cunningham claimed his seventh Munster medal in 1992, however, Cork faced the old enemy Kilkenny in another All-Ireland final. Prior to the game Kilkenny won the toss, however, 'the Cats' chose to play against the wind. At half-time his side were only two points in arrears thanks to a D.J. Carey goal four minutes before the interval. John Power
and Michael Phelan
added two second-half goals to give Kilkenny a 3-10 to 1-12 win. It was the third time in his hurling career that Cunningham had been beaten by Kilkenny in a championship decider.
In 1993 Cunningham won a second National Hurling League
medal with Cork. Although he would remain as Cork goalkeeper
for another few seasons Cunningham would never win another Munster or All-Ireland title. His final winners' medal came in 1998 when he claimed a third National League medal. Following Cork's defeat in the early stages of the championship Cunningham decided to retire from inter-county hurling. At the age of 37 he had donned the famed red and white hooped jersey for almost 20 years, during which time he made 50 consecutive championship appearances while also playing in 111 National League games.
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Waterford. He first played for his province in 1983 as Munster were defeated by Connacht
in the semi-final of the competition. Cunningham was the Munster custodian again in 1984. That year his province were successful in defeating Leinster
to take the Railway Cup title. Cunningham added a second consecutive Railway Cup medal to his collection in 1985 as Connacht were accounted for by 3-6 to 1-11. After defeats by Leinster and Connacht over the next few years Cunningham surrendered his place on the team to Tipperary's Ken Hogan
. He was back on the team in 1991, however, it wasn't until 1992 when Cunningham collected his third Railway Cup title. His last outing with the province was in 1994 when Connacht were victorious in the semi-final.
and Noel Skehan
and Wexford's Art Foley
. In the end the honour went to Tipperary's three in-a-row winning 'keeper Tony Reddin
.
and John Allen from 2003 until 2006. During this time Cork captured three Munster titles and appeared in four consecutive All-Ireland finals, winning two. Cunningham was even the favourite to succeed Allen as manager when he stepped down in 2006, however, the position went to Gerald McCarthy instead, without Cunningham even being approached about his intentions. Since retiring from playing he has also coached various St. Finbarr's
teams.
club in County Waterford
, leading them to victory in the 2009
Waterford senior hurling final.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club St. Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1998. Cunningham is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.
Cunningham's status as one of Cork's all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for eighteen years he won three All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
titles, seven Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
titles, three National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
titles and three Railway Cup titles with Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
. Cunningham also won an unprecedented seven consecutive All-Ireland poc fada titles between 1984 and 1990. His tally of 50 consecutive senior championship appearances in goal is a record for any Cork goalkeeper.
Cunningham has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1986 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award. He is only the third goalkeeper to be presented with that award. Cunningham was later honoured in 2000 when he was named, by popular opinion, in the goalkeeping position on the Cork Hurling Team of the Century.
Biography
Ger Cunningham was born in CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in 1961. He was educated locally at Sullivan’s Quay national school where he was first introduced to the game of hurling by Brother Moloughney, a hurling enthusiast from Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
. Cunningham later attended Colaiste Íognáid Rís where Billy Morgan
Billy Morgan (Gaelic footballer)
Billy Morgan is a former Irish Gaelic footballer. In a career that spanned three decades from the early 1960s to the early 1980s he played football at club level with University College Cork and Nemo Rangers, at inter-county level with Cork and at inter-provincial level with Munster...
nurtured his Gaelic football skills. He currently works as a sales representative with Bord Gáis
Bord Gáis
Bord Gáis Éireann , normally branded as Bord Gáis, is the main supplier and distributor of pipeline natural gas in the Republic of Ireland. The company has built an extensive network across Ireland. The company supplies gas to domestic and industrial customers on a fully regulated basis...
, an Irish energy company.
Club
Cunningham was born into a family that had a strong link with the St. Finbarr's GAASt. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
club in Cork and he joined the team in his youth. He first tasted major success in 1980 when he won his first senior county title
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
with the club. Cunningham later captured a Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club title as 'the Barr's' defeated Roscrea
Roscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...
in the provincial decider. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cunningham's side take on Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers from Ballyhale lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by 1-15 to 1-11. In spite of this defeat Cunningham collected a second consecutive county medal at the end of 1981. St. Finbarr's made it three county titles in-a-row in 1982 with Cunningham playing in goal again. A defeat by Midleton
Midleton GAA
Midleton Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland.-History:The concept of a Gaelic Athletic Association was first mooted in 1883 when a sub-committee of the Irish Republican Brotherhood was formed with the ideal of...
in 1983 put an end to Cunningham collecting a fourth consecutive county medal. In spite of this defeat he won his fourth county title in 1984, the centenary year of the GAA. Four years later in 1988 Cunningham was captain of the St. Finbarr's team. That year he guided the club to a fifth county title inside the decade. After a few years outside of the spotlight Cunningham captured a sixth county medal in 1993 following a defeat in a replay of divisional side Carbery
Carbery GAA
Carbery GAA are a divisional team from the south-west division of County Cork, Ireland, in ancient Carbery. They compete in the Cork Senior Football Championship. They competed in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship up to and including 2010. They did not enter a hurling team in 2011...
.
Minor & under-21
Cunningham first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a dual playerDual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
of both hurling and football at under-age levels in the late 1970s. He first tasted success in 1978 when he captured a Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
minor title with the Cork hurling team following a victory over arch-rivals Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
. Cunningham later lined out in his first All-Ireland final. Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
were the opponents on that occasion, however they were easily accounted for on a score line of 1-15 to 1-8. It was Cunningham's first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
medal.
In 1979 Cunningham was still a member of the Cork minor hurling team. He missed the Munster final victory over Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
, however, he returned in time for the All-Ireland final. Once again it was Kilkenny who provided the opposition. A 2-11 to 1-9 score line gave Cork the victory and gave Cunningham a second consecutive All-Ireland medal at minor level.
Cunningham later joined the Cork under-21 hurling and football teams. He was a member of the extended panel when Cork won both Munster
Munster Under-21 Football Championship
The Munster Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster, in Ireland....
and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
titles in the under-21 grade in 1981.
By 1982 the Cork under-21 hurling team had regained their provincial dominance with Cunningham capturing a Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
title. He later lined out in a close All-Ireland decider against Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
. At the full-time whistle Cork were victorious by 0-12 to 0-11, giving Cunningham an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
under-21 medal.
Senior
In 1979 Cunningham was still a member of the Cork minor hurling team when he joined the county senior panel. He made his senior debut in May 1980, lining out against Kilkenny in a challenge match. Cunningham replaced Timmy MurphyTimmy Murphy
Timothy James Murphy , commonly known as Timmy Murphy, is a National Hunt jockey who overcame difficult personal problems to win the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on the horse Comply or Die. He recorded his 1,000th winner at Taunton on 21 January 2010.- References :...
as Cork's first-choice goalkeeper the following year and remained an ever-present fixture for the best part of twenty years.
In 1981 Cunningham enjoyed his first major success at senior level when he won a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
medal following a victory over Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
. Success in the championship eluded him until 1982 when he collected his first senior Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
title following a 5-31 to 3-6 drubbing of Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny, with 'the Rebels' installed as the red-hot favourites. All did not go to plan as Kilkenny dominated. Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s. Heffernan is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:...
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15.
Cunningham claimed a second Munster title in 1983 as Waterford fell heavily by 3-22 to 0-12 for the second consecutive year. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final Cork squared up to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final for the second year in-a-row. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. For the second consecutive year Cunningham had ended up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
These two defeats only made Cunningham and Cork more determined to bounce back in 1984. That year he claimed a third Munster title in-a-row following a classic victory over an unlucky Tipperary side. This victory allowed Cork to advance to a third consecutive All-Ireland final. It was a special year for followers of hurling and football as the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
was celebrating it's centenary year. As a gesture to Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, the cradle town of the association, the All-Ireland final was played in Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
that year. Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
provided the opposition and, ironically, it was the first meeting of these two sides in one hundred years of Gaelic games. The game was a triumph for Cork, who won by 3-16 to 1-12 courtesy of second-half goals by Kevin Hennessy
Kevin Hennessy
Kevin Hennessy is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Midleton and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1982 until 1993.-Club:...
and Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
. At the third time of asking Cunningham had finally collected his first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal. He was later presented with his first All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
In 1985 Cunningham was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team for the first time. That year he guided his team to a fourth successive Munster title as Tipp were defeated once again. Cork were subsequently caught on-the-hop by Galway in a rain-soaked All-Ireland semi-final. In spite of this he was later presented with second All-Star award.
Cork continued their dominance in Munster in 1986 with Cunningham capturing a record-equalling fifth Munster medal in-a-row as Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
were accounted for. A subsequent defeat of Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Galway provided the opposition. Galway were the red hot favourites to take the title and defeat Cork for the first time in a championship decider. The pundits and commentators got it wrong as an open game of hurling saw Cork score 4-13 to Galway’s 2-15. A four-point win gave Cork the title and gave Cunningham a second All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with a third consecutive All-Star. Cunningham was also honoured by being named Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
.
Over the next three years Tipperary re-emerged as the kingpins of Munster hurling as Cork's fortunes took a downturn. One of the lowest points in Cunningham's career happened during this drought for Cork hurling. Playing against Waterford in 1989 Cunningham received a heavy knock to the head and spent the remainder of the game in a daze, conceding three goals.
Cork were back in 1990 and, against all the odds, they wrestled the Munster title from Tipperary after Babs Keating's famous 'donkeys don't win derbies' remark. It was Cunningham's seventh provincial title. The subsequent All-Ireland final that year pitted Cork against Galway for the second time in four years. Once again, Galway were the bookies favourites and justified this tag by going seven points ahead in the opening thirty-five minutes thanks to a masterful display by Joe Cooney
Joe Cooney
Joe Cooney is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Sarsfield's and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1985 until 2000. Cooney is regarded as one of Galway’s greatest-ever players.-Early life:...
. Cork fought back with an equally expert display by Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1983 until 1994. Mulcahy currently works as a pundit with The Sunday Game...
. The game was effectively decided on an incident which occurred midway through the second half when Cunningham blocked a point-blank shot from Martin Naughton
Martin Naughton
Martin Naughton , an Irish entrepreneur, founded Glen Electric in November 1973 with a small manufacturing facility employing just ten people in Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. In 1977, Dimplex, the leading brand in the UK electrical heating market was acquired by Glen Electrics forming the Glen...
with his nose. The umpires gave no 65-metre free, even though he clearly deflected it out wide. Cork went on to win a high-scoring and open game of hurling by 5-15 to 2-21. It was Cunningham's third All-Ireland medal and the first of a remarkable hurling and football double for Cork.
Cunningham claimed his seventh Munster medal in 1992, however, Cork faced the old enemy Kilkenny in another All-Ireland final. Prior to the game Kilkenny won the toss, however, 'the Cats' chose to play against the wind. At half-time his side were only two points in arrears thanks to a D.J. Carey goal four minutes before the interval. John Power
John Power (hurler)
John Power is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling with his local club John Lockes and Kilkenny from 1986 to 2004. In that time, he won four All-Ireland titles and two All Star awards, as well as having the honour of being included on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century...
and Michael Phelan
Michael Phelan (hurler)
Michael 'Titch' Phelan , from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, is a former inter-county hurler. Phelan was formally recognised as a sportsperson of national significance in 1992 when nominated as a GAA Allstar. He played both for his local club Glenmore and as a member of the Kilkenny senior...
added two second-half goals to give Kilkenny a 3-10 to 1-12 win. It was the third time in his hurling career that Cunningham had been beaten by Kilkenny in a championship decider.
In 1993 Cunningham won a second National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
medal with Cork. Although he would remain as Cork goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...
for another few seasons Cunningham would never win another Munster or All-Ireland title. His final winners' medal came in 1998 when he claimed a third National League medal. Following Cork's defeat in the early stages of the championship Cunningham decided to retire from inter-county hurling. At the age of 37 he had donned the famed red and white hooped jersey for almost 20 years, during which time he made 50 consecutive championship appearances while also playing in 111 National League games.
Provincial
Cunningham also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Waterford. He first played for his province in 1983 as Munster were defeated by Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
in the semi-final of the competition. Cunningham was the Munster custodian again in 1984. That year his province were successful in defeating Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
to take the Railway Cup title. Cunningham added a second consecutive Railway Cup medal to his collection in 1985 as Connacht were accounted for by 3-6 to 1-11. After defeats by Leinster and Connacht over the next few years Cunningham surrendered his place on the team to Tipperary's Ken Hogan
Ken Hogan
James Kenneth Hogan , better known as Ken Hogan, is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Tipperary under-21 hurling team....
. He was back on the team in 1991, however, it wasn't until 1992 when Cunningham collected his third Railway Cup title. His last outing with the province was in 1994 when Connacht were victorious in the semi-final.
Post-playing career
In retirement from play Cunningham maintained a keen interest in the game. The year after he quit the inter-county scene the hurling experts were charged with picking a Team of the Millennium. Cunningham was Cork's best prospect for the goalkeeping position, however, he faced still opposition from such legends as Kilkenny duo Ollie WalshOllie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh , better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995...
and Noel Skehan
Noel Skehan
Noel Skehan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local Bennettsbridge club and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1963 and 1985. Skehan is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.Skehan's status as one of the all-time greats...
and Wexford's Art Foley
Art Foley
Michael Arthur Foley , better known as Art Foley, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Aidan's of Enniscorthy and with the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1946 until 1956.-Club:...
. In the end the honour went to Tipperary's three in-a-row winning 'keeper Tony Reddin
Tony Reddin
Martin Charles Reddington , better known as Tony Reddin, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Castlegar in Galway and Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary from the 1930s until the 1950s...
.
Coaching
Cunningham later served as a selector and goalkeeping coach to the Cork team under the managerial reigns of both Donal O'GradyDónal O'Grady
Dónal O'Grady is an Irish former hurler and manager.O'Grady enjoyed a successful playing career as a full-back with the Cork senior team throughout the early 1980s...
and John Allen from 2003 until 2006. During this time Cork captured three Munster titles and appeared in four consecutive All-Ireland finals, winning two. Cunningham was even the favourite to succeed Allen as manager when he stepped down in 2006, however, the position went to Gerald McCarthy instead, without Cunningham even being approached about his intentions. Since retiring from playing he has also coached various St. Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
teams.
Management
In January 2009, Cunningham took up the manager's role at the BallygunnerBallygunner GAA
Ballygunner GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballygunner in County Waterford, Ireland. The club is exclusively concerned with hurling.- History :...
club in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
, leading them to victory in the 2009
Waterford Senior Hurling Championship 2009
The 2009 Waterford Senior Hurling Championship commenced on 25 April and concluded on 17 October 2009. De La Salle were the defending champions, having beaten Abbeyside in the 2008 final. Ballygunner defeated Lismore in the 2009 final following a replay...
Waterford senior hurling final.
St. Finbarr's
- Munster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1980
- Cork Senior Hurling ChampionshipCork Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
:- Winner (6): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1993
- Runner-up (2): 1983, 1990
Cork
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
:- Winner (3): 1984All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1984The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1984 was the 98th series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...
, 1986All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1986The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1986 was the 100th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Cork won the championship, beating Galway 4-13 to 2-15 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Fortmat:Munster Championship...
, 1990All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1990The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1990 was the 104th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Cork won the championship, beating Galway 5-15 to 2-21 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Teams:... - Runner-up (3): 1982All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1982The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1982 was the 96th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 3-18 to 1-13 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:...
, 1983All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1983-Miscellaneous:* Tipperary's victory over Clare in the Munster quarter-final is the team's first in the provincial championship since 1973.* The attendance of 20,816 at the Munster final is the lowest at the provincial decider since 1972....
, 1992All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1992The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1992 was the 106th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 3-10 to 1-12 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:...
- Winner (3): 1984
- Munster Senior Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
:- Winner (7): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992
- Runner-up (3): 1987, 1988, 1991
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
:- Winner (3): 1980-1981, 1992–1993, 1998
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1982
- Munster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipMunster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1982
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
:- Winner (2): 1978, 1979
- Munster Minor Hurling ChampionshipMunster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1978
Munster
- Railway Cup:
- Winner (3): 1984, 1985, 1992
- Runner-up (2): 1986, 1991